The majority of the contemporary wagering gaming devices or gaming devices, such as slot machines, randomly generate awards and other outcomes. Such gaming devices typically include a relatively low probability associated with obtaining the highest award, relatively medium probabilities associated with obtaining medium range awards and relatively higher probabilities associated with obtaining low range awards. These gaming devices also include probabilities associated with obtaining losses or no award at all. The probabilities of obtaining the awards and the amount of the awards determine the average expected pay out percentage of these wagering gaming devices. Because the outcomes of these gaming devices are completely randomly determined, there is no certainty that a player will ever obtain any particular award. That is, no matter how many times a player plays the game, since the gaming device generates outcomes randomly or completely based upon a probability calculation, there is no certainty that the game will ever provide the player with a rare outcome, such as a jackpot award, or any other specific value for that matter. On the other hand, due to the random determination, the gaming device can provide the rare outcomes, such as jackpot awards, numerous times in a small number of plays. For example, a probability-based $1 slot machine gaming device may be programmed to payback on average 95% of all wagers placed with a 1% chance of generating a $10 win outcome, a 5% chance of generating a $5 win outcome, a 10% chance of generating a $2 win outcome, a 40% chance of generating a $1 win outcome and a 44% chance of generating a $0 loss outcome. However, when one hundred game outcomes are generated by the probability-based slot machine gaming device, the actual payback may be 137% of all wagers placed and the actual generated outcomes may be six $10 win outcomes, one $5 win outcome, eighteen $2 win outcomes, thirty-six $1 win outcomes and thirty-nine $0 loss outcomes.
This uncertainty is faced by players and casinos or other gaming establishments. For example, certain casinos prefer that a relatively high number of players hit low awards while a relatively low number of players hit high awards. When players hit high awards periodically, casinos attract more players, because of the positive publicity large wins generate. By using desired payback percentages or probabilities, the casinos can also expect to make a certain level of profit. The random determinations can, however, unexpectedly cause casinos to suffer a loss or, on the other hand, to reap great profit in the short run and lose business in the long run due to a reputation for only paying out low awards.
Regulatory bodies in certain jurisdictions do not permit the use of probability-based gaming devices in-part for these reasons. These regulatory bodies permit the use of wagering gaming devices which are guaranteed to provide certain or definite awards, so that, for example, a certain number of wins is guaranteed and the overall amount paid back to players is guaranteed. That is, the payback percentage is fixed and not an average expected amount. One type of gaming device which complies with this requirement is an instant-type lottery gaming device. An instant-type lottery gaming device includes a finite pool or set of electronic tickets with each electronic ticket assigned to a predetermined game outcome. Alternatively, each electronic ticket could be assigned to a random number or game play seed. Each seed is deterministic of a predetermined game outcome. That is, the gaming device utilizes the random number or game play seed in a random number generating algorithm to generate random numbers that the gaming device then uses to determine and provide the predetermined game outcome. In an instant-type lottery gaming device, as the predetermined game outcome for each electronic ticket is revealed to a player on the gaming device, the ticket is removed (i.e., flagged as used) from the finite pool or set of electronic tickets. Once removed from the pool or set, a ticket cannot be used again to determine another game outcome. This type of gaming device provides players with all of the available outcomes over the course of the play cycle and guarantees the actual wins and losses.
Since an instant-type lottery gaming machine has a finite pool of predetermined win/loss outcomes, it is possible to configure the pool to specific conditions or criteria requested by the casino or gaming establishment. An example of these conditions or criteria are the number of tickets included in the pool and the exact payback percentage or payback sum for the pool as a whole. The payback percentage or sum represents the guaranteed payout for the entire pool of predetermined game outcomes. Other examples of conditions or criteria are what prizes will be awarded and the frequency of winning outcome tickets amongst the total number of tickets for the pool. For example, if a predetermined pool includes twenty $1 tickets and the pool has a payback sum of $10, then the pool might consist of one $5 win outcome, one $2 win outcome, three $1 win outcomes and fifteen $0 loss outcomes and may be represented as the following outcomes: 5, 2, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0. It should be appreciated that the above described pool of twenty tickets is for illustration purposes only and a pool could include any suitable desired number of tickets including a large number such as one million or more.
Even though a pool may contain more than one of the same game outcome (i.e., the loss or the win and if a win, the value), the presentation to the player (such as reel stops in the case of slot machines or simulated slot machines, cards dealt or drawn in the case of simulated card games and the like) is preferably varied for each sequential game outcome. For example, in the twenty ticket pool described above, while three game outcomes may each determine a win game outcome with a value of $1, in a slot machine type game, the three game outcomes are preferably presented to the player as different winning combinations of reel symbols.
Central determination gaming systems are also generally known. A central determination gaming system provides a plurality of individual gaming devices, located in a gaming establishment, such as a casino, coupled by one or more communication links, to a central processor or controller. When a player plays a game on one of the gaming devices, a game outcome is randomly generated by the central controller based on probability data. The generated game outcome and how the game outcome is to be presented or displayed to the player are communicated from the central controller to the individual gaming device and then provided to the player. It should be appreciated that one central processor may continuously run hundreds or thousands of individual gaming devices at once. Additionally, each individual gaming device may include a plurality of different types of games played at a plurality of different denominations.
To comply with the above mentioned regulatory rules that do not permit the use of probability-based gaming devices, central determination gaming systems have been implemented wherein the central system maintains one or more predetermined pools or sets of game outcomes. Each game outcome in each set or pool includes a game outcome component (i.e., a win, a lose, a secondary game trigger or other suitable outcome) with an associated value or payout amount, if any, and a game presentation component (i.e., how the game outcome is displayed or presented to the player). In these systems, when a player makes a wager on one of the gaming devices, the central system independently selects a game outcome from a set or pool of game outcomes and flags or marks the selected predetermined game outcome as used. Once a game outcome is flagged as used, it is prevented from further selection from the set or pool and cannot be selected by the central controller upon another wager. The selected predetermined game outcome is communicated to the individual gaming device. The individual gaming device displays or presents the game presentation component and provides the player the game outcome component with the associated value, if any, for the selected predetermined game outcome. Additionally, certain central determination gaming systems have also been implemented wherein the central system maintains one or more predetermined pools or sets of random number or game outcome seeds.
There are a number of advantages to providing for centralized production of game outcomes at individual gaming devices. Central production or control can assist a casino or other entity in maintaining appropriate records, controlling gaming, reducing and preventing cheating or electronic or other errors, reducing or eliminating win-loss volatility and the like. However, it should be appreciated that existing central determination gaming systems involve minimal to no player interaction other than initiating a game play at a gaming device. That is, similar to an instant type lottery game, the central controller selects a game outcome from the pool and the selected predetermined game outcome is provided to the player with the player unable to influence the provided game outcome. Therefore, a need exists for central determination gaming systems that provide an increased level of player interaction.
Gaming devices with one or more offer and acceptance games are also known. For example, the TOP DOLLAR® gaming device which is manufactured and distributed by the assignee of this application enables players to accept or decline multiple award offers. This gaming device provides the player with up to three randomly determined offers and a final award. When an offer is given, the player may accept or reject it by pushing an accept button or a reject button, respectively. If the player accepts an offer, the player receives the accepted offer amount and the offer and acceptance game terminates. If the player declines an offer, the game randomly generates another offer for the player. The player is automatically provided with the last selected offer if the player rejects the three previous offers. In this game, each offer can include one or more illuminated amounts. If an offer is rejected, the gaming machine terminates the illumination of such amounts and one or more amounts are illuminated to make the next offer. The previously illuminated amounts of the previous offer are not saved.
In this known offer/acceptance game, when the player rejects an offer, the player risks a current or guaranteed award for a higher value award. However, the game may instead provide a lower award, thus creating a risk for the player. Enabling a player to pick from different risk based alternatives and then enabling the player to accumulate awards or offers from the selected alternatives provides excitement and enjoyment to the player.
As the game outcome in a central determination gaming system is predetermined by the central controller and involves minimal to no player interaction and as the game outcome in an offer and acceptance type game is determined by the player based on which offer the player chooses to accept, an inconsistency may occur if the player's accepted offer differs from the selected predetermined game outcome. This inconsistency can interfere with the play of the offer/acceptance game because if the selected predetermined game outcome and the player's accepted offer differ, the player may be provided an offer they did not accept or the gaming device may provide the player an accepted offer different from the selected predetermined game outcome.
Accordingly, a need exists to provide an offer and acceptance game which involves a high degree of player interaction (i.e., sequentially accepting and rejecting provided offers) that is operational in a central determination gaming system.